Full of Fiber Pasta

The ‘Bad’ Fats[read about it here] in the body build up and gets deposited in the arteries / blood vessels leading to the heart.More and more of this build up leads to heart attack and death.

Cholesterol from the food we take is often termed as the culprit.Though the body needs this nutrient,too much of it does more harm than good.So off they go to settle down in the artery walls.

So,how can this fatty build-up be prevented?Nature has given us an excellent ‘broom’ to remove the fatty deposits.Yes, I am talking about the fiber!Fiber is a complex carbohydrate found in foodstuffs that cannot be digested by the body.It plays a vital role in our well being.

Fiber helps prevent the raise of blood sugar and blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and keeps us in a sense of satiety for a longer period of time.

This can easily be incorporated in our diet and here are some simple ways to do so

•  Include high fiber foods in the breakfast .Some examples include adding oats,wheat bran,fruits in the breakfast menu
• Add fiber rich pulses to the diet 
• Increase the intake of salads.
• When in need of a snack choose a fruit and have it with the peel if possible.Much of the nutrients like beneath the peel.Eating the fruit with the peel increases the fiber content and also prevents you from snacking on an oily stuffs.
• Choose whole grain flours to refined flours and use whole grains often.

Apart from following a healthy diet,we must go on a regular exercise schedule and  check the lipid profile on a regular basis.

Here is a simple pasta dish that is really high in Fiber and it is adapted from Tarla dalal’s recipe in the same name from her book-Healthy heart cookbook.

Pasta is a favorite of dish of Lil angel and this is one easy way to add veggies to the diet.For Lil angel I used normal cheese and milk but if you are on a diet you can use low fat milk and cheese as mentioned.This goes to MEC-Favorites hosted here.Microwave Easy Cooking[MEC] is an event started by Srivalli of Cooking for all seasons.This dish also joins Srivalli for her 365 days of Microwave cooking event.

I used:

Whole wheat pasta – 2 cups,

Mixed vegetables-1 cup,chopped [I used carrot,french beans,baby corn,peas]
Onions-1 large,chopped
Tomato-1 chopped
Garlic-2 large cloves,minced
Low fat milk-1/4 cup
Corn flour-1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-a pinch[optional,I added it for color]
Oil-1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Low fat cheese and mint leaves to garnish

1. Mix the cornflour in a little milk and keep aside.
2. In a large microwave proof dish put in pasta and add enough water so that the pasta is fully submerged.Cover and cook on high for 10 minutes or till 90% done.Drain the pasta and keep aside.
3. Similarly take the vegetables in a microwave proof dish and sprinkle water and cover and cook for 8 minutes or till 90% done.Keep aside.
4. Take oil,onion,garlic in a microwave proof dish,mix well and cook on medium for 2 minutes or till onion is translucent.
5. Put in tomato,mix well and cook in medium for 2 minutes or till soft.
6. Add the semi-cooked vegetables,salt,chilli powder,turmeric powder and mix well.
7. Add less than 1/4 cup of water[depending on how much more the veggies,pasta need to be cooked],corn flour paste[from step1],milk and stir well so that there are no lumps.
8. Microwave covered on medium for 2 minutes.
9. Add the pasta and mix well.Cover and microwave on medium for 5 minutes or till the pasta and veggies are done.Stir at the end of every 2 minutes to check if it is done and to prevent lumping .[The water and milk will be absorbed by this time,else microwave uncovered on medium for some more time].
10. Serve garnished with low fat cheese[optional] and mint leaves

Please note that the timings will vary from oven to oven.

Bon Appetit…